Different generic types of driver assistance systems are known in the prior art which share the common characteristics that they serve to relieve the strain on the driver and increase safety in traffic events. Systems of this type are partially based on environment information detected by means of environment sensor systems, on information read out from digital map material or on information that has been received by means of vehicle-to-X communication. Similarly, navigation systems, which are normally designed as GPS-based systems, are also known and are fitted as standard in more and more current vehicles. These navigation systems perform a location determination on the basis of received satellite signals and guide the driver along a specific travel route to the destination with the aid of digital map material.
A method for recognizing concealed objects in road traffic is known from DE 10 2007 048 809 A1, which is incorporated by reference. The environment of a vehicle and movement parameters of the vehicle are detected by sensors. This information is transmitted by means of vehicle-to-vehicle communication to further vehicles located in the environment. Similarly, the further vehicles located in the environment simultaneously detect and transmit environment information and movement information. This information is received and is used to extend an existing environment model. The environment model extended in this way is played back in updated form by means of a display and can be made available to a plurality of driver assistance systems. Information relating to objects that cannot be detected by the vehicle sensors themselves is thus available in the vehicle.
A vehicle system for navigation and/or driver assistance is described in DE 10 2009 008 959 A1, which is incorporated by reference. The vehicle system comprises a provider unit, at least one environment sensor and one vehicle sensor. The provider unit in turn comprises a position model based on a satellite signal sensor and an ADAS horizon provider which can have a communication link to a navigation unit which can also be located outside the vehicle. The navigation unit can be designed e.g. as a server which transfers map extracts of a digital map to the provider unit.
DE 10 2008 012 660 A1, which is incorporated by reference, discloses a method for the server-based warning of vehicles against hazards and a corresponding hazard warning unit. A measurement value is detected by means of a detection unit of a first vehicle and it is determined whether the measurement value corresponds to a hazard. If the measurement value corresponds to a hazard, information data relating to the hazard are transmitted to a central unit. The type of hazard, the location at which the measurement value was detected, the time at which the measurement value was detected and an identification of the transmitting vehicle are stored in the central unit and corresponding warning data are generated. The warning data relevant to a second vehicle can then be retrieved by this second vehicle from the central unit.
However, the methods and systems known in the prior art suffer from disadvantages insofar as information and environment models stored in a database or in a memory are rigidly retained and made available to vehicles until they have been refuted or revised by a sufficient number of more up-to-date measurements. A flexible handling of the stored information and environment models taking account of the dynamics of the traffic flow is therefore not possible, and, in particular, a recognition of regularly occurring traffic events at specific traffic sections is not possible.